With high pressure in charge, it turned out to be a lovely day in West Lothian. Best birds at Linlithgow Loch were two Pochards and a group of displaying Goldeneye (but no Tree Sparrows at Bonnytoun Farm). A Raven flew over while we were at Beecraigs.

A Little Grebe on the river between Shawbridge Street and Pollokshaws Road was unusual at that location, in my experience. A single Redwing was by the path in Auldhouse Park. 

Some highlights of a short walk around Eastwood and Rouken Glen today were Treecreeper, Nuthatch and singing Goldcrest.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

A protracted wander around Langside today (long story) produced only typical town birds (Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Mallard, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Starling, Robin, Blackbird, House Sparrow and Goldfinch).

A rainy walk in Barshaw Park turned out to be quite good for birds with Treecreeper, two Stock Doves and a flock of siskins all good sightings.

My usual Sunday walk found a few Redwings still in the area plus a single Stock Dove singing along the riverside path. A friend reports at least one Tawny owl calling recently from just north of Crookston Castle.

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Feeling better today, I headed for Hogganfield Loch. Best bird was a single drake Pochard. Also good to see were ten Whooper Swans at the car park. A pir of Teal were skulking on the edge of the island but I failed to find any Shoveler or Gadwall. Heading home, a Raven was over Thorenliebank. 

Storm Eowyn barrelled through south Cardonald for most of the daylight hours today, leaving in its wake several uprooted trees and piles of branches strewn along the riverside path. Birds were keeping out of sight but a single Wren sang defiantly in the very teeth of the gale.

A single Lesser Black-backed Gull on the school roof this afternoon might well have been a bird which spent the first part of the winter off the coast of Portugal or Morocco and has now returned in preparation for the coming season. Sightings of a few Redwings and a substantial flock of Goldfinches were more typical winter fayre. 

Three Song Thrushes were singing beside the riverside path through the old Leverndale Hospital grounds this evening.

Singing Blue Tit and Robin were the best natural connections I could rustle up on a day mostly spent trying to get over a cold I've picked up.

Two singing Stock Doves were the most notable records among the 23 species I found in Glasgow Botanic Gardens this morning. Later, the drake Ring-necked Duck was showing well on Victoria Park Pond.

A Stock Dove was singing and a Woodpigeon displaying when I walked along the river this afternoon.

A day down the Ayrshire coast with the SOC Clyde branch produced a day list of over 40 species. A well-organised and productive day spent in good company.

A tour around some birding sites in and around Glasgow (including Dawsholm Park, Bingham Pond, RSPB Loch Lomond, Balloch and the Clyde at Beardmore Way) produced a healthy day total of 54 species. Unfortunately, I failed to locate several of the "target" species (Ring-necked Duck; White-fronted Goose; American Wigeon) and ran out of time to go for some others (Smew; Whooper Swan; Pochard; Shoveler).

A Sparrowhawk was duelling with a couple of Carrion Crows over Barshaw Park this morning. A little later something alarmed all the gulls on the pond, making them take to the air along with some Feral Pigeons and about forty Jackdaws. I didn't see the cause but my guess would be a passing Peregrine. Some of the Black-headed Gulls on the pond had fairly well-developed hoods and several Common Gulls had the pure white head of breeding birds. As well as the regular tits, Goldfinches, Starlings, Robins and Woodpigeons, both Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush were singing near the walled garden where eight Redwings flew over.  

Two Kingfishers (presumably a pair) were noisily interacting at Shawbridge this morning. Their stuttering calls first made me think I had a singing Dipper. Tits, Robin and Woodpigeon were heard in song but there was no repeat of late December's singing Mistle Thrush. 

My local walk today produced Woodpigeon, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Wren, Starling and Robin all in song. High numbers of Black-headed and Herring Gulls had probably something to do with the fact that the local high school was about to begin its lunch break. I found some Jelly Ear fungus growing on Elder and Snowdrops pushing through the leaf litter.

With the thaw well underway, today was damp in the air and underfoot. The ice hadn't fully melted on the pond in Rouken Glen Park so most of the waterbirds were standing on the ice, the Mandarin Duck among them.

The buds on the Willow trees along the Levern Water were starting to show signs of bursting when I walked that way this morning. A Cormorant flying over the burn was unusual, in my experience. Plenty of Rooks were in the vicinity of the "micro-rookery" on Brockburn Road. I could make out the remains of three nests which had survived the winter storms (so far), but the birds did not seem to be showing any interest in them. A Raven was calling near the castle, and other notable species encountered included Buzzard, Goosander (six in total) and Stock Dove. Song was heard from Woodpigeon, Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Wren, Starling, Goldfinch and Bulfinch. Winter Gnats were lekking in Rosshall Park.... Oh, and a Tawny Owl called outside the house last night.   

Today started with a Cormorant at chimney height, presumably following the river but taking a short cut over my suburban housing estate. With road and weather conditions unpredictable, I decided to do my WeBS count one day early. The Murdieston Park dams were around 95% ice-covered, so counting waterbirds was a fairly easy task. Highlights were single Grey Heron and Little Grebe. A couple of the Black-headed gulls had nearly full hoods. Down at Lunderston bay, five Wigeon were a little unusual in my experience, as were two Black Guillemots in breeding plumage. 

I spent the majority of today in Edinburgh, walking the footpaths around Blackford Hill. Birds on the way up included Nuthatch and Stock Dove. The views from the top were amazing with good visibility and cloudless, blue skies. Blackford pond was almost entirely frozen with only two Mallards, a Little Grebe, a Moorhen and a Grey Wagtail present (all gathered around an impossibly small ice-free area). For the second day this week, I was treated to a lovely alpenglow on the journey back west.

A third or fourth lovely day in a row, today (I am losing count). Crystal-clear air, perfect blue skies, views as far as the snow-covered hills. On an otherwise busy day we managed to squeeze in a walk around the loch in the James Hamilton Heritage Park in East Kilbride.  Among the 56 Mallards standing on the ice, three smaller ducks proved to be a male and two female Wigeon. 

I enjoyed some time in the sunshine in Bishopbriggs this lunchtime. My walk took in a short stretch of the canal, a longer section of the Bishopbriggs Burn and a good look around Bishopbriggs Park. Some interesting sightings consisted of Jelly Ear fungus on many of the neglected Elder bushes between the burn and the canal, a flock of at least nineteen Bullfinches feeding on grass opposite the sports centre (with a flock of eight Redwings doing the same nearby), a lone Grey Wagtail in a ditch in Bishopbriggs Park and four Rooks showing interest in the tall trees along Glenburn Gardens where they nested last year.

I was in Edinburgh to see family today but managed to squeeze in a walk down to Portobello and back. Best birds were two male Greenfinches singing from scrub next to the railway line. they have been hard to find on my home patch and I hadn't heard that lovely wheezy song since last summer.

As many as eight Wigeon were at Rouken Glen Park pond today, mostly staying close to the two main islands. The "Phwee-oo" calls of the males were easy to hear on what was a relatively wind and rain-free day. Apparently a female Mandarin was present as well, but I failed to notice her.

Today I walked from south Cardonald to Pollokshaws via Corkerhill Cemetery, Bellahouston Park and Maxwell Park. Best birds were a Little Grebe on the river behind the house, two Nuthatches and a Treecreeper at Dumbreck, and three groups of Redwings (totalling 61 birds) all feeding amongst leaf litter under trees. On each occasion, I was alerted to their presence by the sight of multiple leaves being tossed into the air.

With time to spare before meeting someone from the train, I took a walk around Townhead in the centre of Glasgow. Lots of Redwings and a few Blackbirds were feeding on the ground under bare trees. At least two Bullfinches were trying to extract whatever they could from a few withered seed heads. Three Pied Wagtails were feeding around a row of shops.

The canal towpath between the Clyde Shopping Centre and Great Western Road was treacherous underfoot due to overnight frost. Most interesting birds were at least seventeen Common Gulls, several of which were in first winter plumage. Three Mute Swans flying along the canal made a loud creaking/whooshing sound which could be heard from a fair distance away. A detour up to Kilbowie Cemetery found at least six flighty Redwings and a single, flyover Raven. A variegated Holly there had several branches bearing pale yellow leaves. Back at the canal, Jelly Ear fungus was growing on several of the Elder trees lining the towpath.

Today was much colder than of late, but thankfully drier and less windy. A dozen Redwings and two Blackbirds were feeding under trees in Newlands Park, flying back to the trees whenever anyone passed along the adjacent paths. Back home, a Coal Tit was singing in the afternoon sunshine.

My first local walk of 2025 uncovered 25 species including five Stock Doves feeding together on the path, a Cormorant flying east (upriver) and a single Treecreeper. The tree which was blown down two days ago has been swept down to the Moulin weir by yesterday's flood water.